Brin
Brin, Duchess of Hellas, is the older sister of Banion, Duke of Maree, and Bennett, who is the second husband of Lieke, Countess of Dis. Given her sexual proclivity for women (Internal Affairs >40), she is a potential suitor for Elodie. If you meet the proper criteria, you can receive the 'been sent flowers by a woman' achievement on the Event Checklist from her. Involvement Week 9 Brin will spark a territorial conflict with the neighboring nation of Ixion; Elodie can learn this information by passing a Foreign Affairs >20 check, and may act on it. If Elodie chooses to go to war, Brin won't be seen next week. Regardless of results Elodie will remain in good graces with both siblings. Week 10 If Elodie chose to negotiate the previous week, Banion, Brin and an ixionite diplomat will arrive at the castle this week. However the player chooses to resolve this conflict will have a deep effect on relations with the siblings and Noble Approval. Solving the conflict in any way that upsets the siblings (surrendering territory, deposing or executing Brin, forcing her to marry without negotiating first) will make Brin permanently unavailable as a romance candidate for the rest of the game, and also drive Banion to sabotage Elodie during Week 17. Solving the conflict in any way that satisfies the siblings (going to war, offering money as compensation, intimidating the diplomat, convincing Brin to marry after negotiating with her first) will allow the player the possibility of romancing Brin later, and dissuade Banion from antagonizing Elodie. Passing a Foreign Affairs >20 check before negotiations will unlock the option "Command her to marry an Ixionite". If Elodie forces Brin to marry but passes an Internal Affairs >40 check, she will encourage the duchess to divorce as soon as she's born an heir. This will smooth over relations with the siblings, unlock extra dialogue with Brin during the Grand Ball, and change the outcome of her romantic epilogues. Whether Elodie negotiates a compromise with Brin or not, forcing her to marry may also push Joslyn to start seeking a second wife. Executing or deposing Brin and passing an Internal Affairs >60 check will have Elodie name Brin's estranged brother Bennett as Duke of Hellas. Week 17 During the Dance portion of the Grand Ball, passing both Court Manners >40 and Intrigue >40 checks will unlock the option "Examine the women"; passing another Internal Affairs >40 check will clue in Elodie of Brin's sexual preferences, if she's present. Following these steps and choosing to dance with Brin, while also having good relations with her, will have Brin send Elodie a gift the next week, opening up the possibility of romancing her. If Brin is married but Elodie had the sense to compromise with the duchess first, the possibility of romancing her is still open. If Elodie did not compromise, Banion will try to force Elodie to marry him by insinuating an affair. If Brin was executed or deposed, and Elodie named her heir, Bennett will attend the Ball in Brin's place. Week 18 If Elodie danced with Brin last week, she will receive a bouquet of flowers; passing a Poison >50 check will provide an additional meaning to the flowers. Regardless, choosing to accept the flowers will allow Elodie to romance Brin at the end of the game, while rejecting them will discard Brin as a romantic runner-up. Passing an Intrigue >40 check this week will have Elodie direct her agents. If Julianna escaped prison, Elodie may choose to direct her agents to capturing her; passing an Internal Affairs >40 check while having a good relationship with Brin and Banion will unlock the option "Ask Maree and Hellas". Doing so will summon Brin to the castle next week. Week 19 If Elodie choose to pursue the fugitive Julianna and "Ask Maree and Hellas" last week, Brin will arrive to the castle. The following conversation will reveal her previous relationship with Julianna, and hint a previous relationship with Lucille, plus Julianna's relationship with "a priestess" (Selene). This conversation will unlock a Special Weekend Activity on Week 21. Week 21 If Elodie choose to pursue the fugitive Julianna, ordered her execution, and consulted Brin for Julianna's possible whereabouts, the option to visit Joslyn this weekend will open, doing so will provide an alternate outcome for the duel event of Week 36; passing an additional Lore >100 check will include additional backstory, but it's unrelated to the purpose of the visit. Personality and Abilities Brin is an impulsive, ill-tempered, emotional woman who frequently makes her thoughts known without a care for the opinions of those around her. While she may seem somewhat similar to Julianna, she's not as uncompromising as her, and more prone to falling back into some of the court's customs (making her less of an outcast). She's very close to her brother Banion, and will back him up is his own ploys, even in cases where it may be against her interests. This trust is reciprocated. But she has a rather strained relation ship with her other brother Bennett, who himself said that she and Banion never forgave him for not being there when their mother died. She herself hints that she easily falls in love, and has been hurt many times for it. She mentions three past relationships with women who left her for men (one of which is Lucille), and her affair with Julianna, who left her for being "too challenging" and soon got together with Selene. It may be telling of Brin's interest in Elodie if both dance together during the Grand Ball (granted, it's designed to show Elodie's favor towards a suitor). She favors botany and is knowledgeable in floriography. The bouquet she sends if danced with conveys two messages: one is Brin's romantic interest in Elodie, the other is the consequences of breaking her heart (the flowers in question are highly poisonous if eaten). This is an interesting hobby, considering that Hellas isn't suited for agriculture. Marriage Conditions Brin is available as a romance option under certain conditions, one of which even ends in marriage. To do this, you have the following conditions. * During Week 10, solve the territorial dispute without giving up the territory, stripping Brin of her title or (obviously) executing her. The method doesn't matter. If you punish her by making her marry an Ixionite, you will have to pass an Internal Affairs check to appease her, otherwise you lose her as a romantic option. * During the Grand Ball, dance with Brin. You can do this by either choosing to dance with "Someone scandalous" while Julianna isn't present (otherwise she takes precedence) or passing both a Court Manners and Intrigue check and choosing "Examine the women", then Brin. * The next week, Elodie will receive a bouquet of flowers. You can pass a Court Manners check to know their meaning and a Poison check to realize something disturbing about the flowers. Either way, choose "Accept them", and Brin will believe you have romantic interest in her. During Week 39, there will be three different outcomes for a Brin romance based on certain conditions: * If Brin wasn't married off and Joslyn is alive, she will propose a deal to Elodie: marry Banion while Brin marries Joslyn, that way both will have politically convenient marriages while also having an excuse to be close. It's mentioned how their children were together so often they considered themselves more siblings than cousins. * If Joslyn is alive and Brin is unmarried, choose "Marry no one". It's mentioned that both were often seen together, Elodie had a daughter with an unaknowledged man. Alternatively, if Brin was married, she divorces immediately after having a child who she names as heir. * If Joslyn is alive and Brin is married, Brin strongly encourages a marriage between Elodie and Banion. Choose "Banion", then Elodie spends a lot of time with Brin, she appears to also be close with Banion, giving it the impression of a polyamorous trio rather than a love triangle. It's the same when Joslyn is dead and Brin is unmarried. But this time, Brin adopts Banion's son from before his marriage and named as the heir to Hellas. * (In versions 1.3+) If Joslyn is dead, have Intrigue <10 and don't act against Lucille or grant her the duchy of Merva. The epilogue will mention how, after a bout of fever and delirium, Elodie recovered but became barren; now without the burden of producing "worthy" heirs, she marries Brin out of love and makes her Queen-Consort. Trivia * She never told her brother of her relationship with Julianna, not even when he was futilely courting the latter. Also, while Banion holds a very great grudge against Elodie if Brin is harmed in any way, Brin is much less likely to take revenge for harm done to Banion. * Her big eyes, hairstyle and straps on her dress has often confused players into believing her much younger than she is. * The name "Brin" is a variation of the Welsh masculine name "Bryn", meaning "hill" or "mound". The duchy she governs is known for it's hilly terrain. Category:Characters Category:Marriage Candidates